Evil with a Capital L
by KittenRainbow
Summary: Natasia still thinks that Count Bleck's viewpoint of the Dark Prognosticus was right (although he ultimately changed his ways in the end), and she is determined to finish the plan that he never managed to complete himself. She sets out to find the last remaining "minion" who can aid her in her plan: Mr. L. Hope you like, and please R&R, if you will! *Rated M for later chapters*
1. Prologue

_After Count Bleck's downfall, his loyal cohort, Natasia, was on the brink of seriously losing her mind. She was the only one who still thought that Count Bleck, the one who had saved her a long time ago, was not living anymore and had not found his long-lost love, Timpani (because she had been zapped nearly to death by that Dimentio, she had not seen what had occurred next). She believed that his beliefs of the Dark Prognosticus was right (although she did not know that he had ultimately reversed his ways in the end), and she was willing to do whatever she could to carry out the plan he had not been able to finish. _

_ She'd do it for him._

_ The problem was...she couldn't rely on the help of the other minions who were also with Count Bleck. Dimentio, Mimi, O'Chunks...all of them had been sent to Dimension D. They wouldn't be able to assist her in the "master's plan", as she called it. Not one of them remained..._

_ ...Except for Mr. L. _

_ Natasia remembered him. He had been one hell of a showoff and rather annoying, with that green bandanna and the mask. It was so frustrating to have to listen to him going on about his "You're all JUNIORS! Ha!" nonsense._

_ Could __**he**__ maybe be the key to the plan?_

_ Well, probably. Natasia knew that afterwards, Mr. L had retreated back into that other "man in green" (Luigi, wasn't it?). But later on, he had begun to cause so much trouble inside Luigi's mind that they had to be ultimately separated into two different people (with the help of Luigi himself and Professor E. Gadd), yet they still had an inner connection with each other. The extreme stress of separating had taken its toll on Mr. L's body and mind and had caused him to become somewhat insane, with his violent temper and bipolar disorder. She also knew that somewhere along the way, he had developed the hots for Mario (and was still like that) as well._

With a mind as crazy and violent as his, I'll be able to carry out Count Bleck's wish_, Natasia thought deviously inside her head._ All I have to do is find Mr. L and have a little "talk" with him...

* * *

A/N: Okay, this is a new little story I wanted to submit. :D

(I have my own viewpoint on how Mr. L is, so if you don't like it...uh...yeah, too bad. :P) Mr. L will not be as "violent" as I normally portray him on , but he will have a more "compassionate" side to him (to help with the storyline). Although he will still be somewhat insane and drooling with lust over Mario :3

Wolfie Mario will appear here! (More info about him and whatnot on )

Enjoy!


	2. The Forest

Now the only things that Natasia had to do was hopefully find Mr. L and brainwash him successfully. But then she found herself with one little problem: where was he, exactly? After he had separated from Luigi, he had kinda just gone off on his own. She didn't even know if he still resided in the Mushroom Kingdom or not. He could be in Sarasaland, for all she knew.

_Maybe I can ask the residents if they know where he lives_, Natasia thought to herself. With that, she made up her mind to head for Toad Town. If her search proved unsuccessful there, she would simply look for him in the other various places of the Mushroom Kingdom. She was determined to find him. He was part of the master plan.

Before she left, however, she donned a hood and cape to conceal her identity. "It's better for the residents to not know who I am," she said. "They might get suspicious or something."

* * *

As Count Bleck's loyal minion strolled through the pleasant streets of Toad Town, she kept a sharp eye out for the black-clad figure, hoping to spot him, but her efforts were basically futile.

"Every citizen is a Toad," she muttered quietly to herself. "My chances of finding him here would be as good as a blind person trying to find a corner in a rounded room."

As last she gave up and walked straight to the first Toad she saw, a local merchant who was selling small pastries. "Excuse me, sir," she called to him in a tone that was slightly deeper than usual.

"Yes? How may I be of service to you?" the Toad said in a friendly voice.

_Too friendly for my taste_, Natasia thought. _That'll change soon..._ She adjusted the hood of her cape before answering. "I was wondering if you happen to know someone who goes by the name Mr. L."

"M-Mr. L...?" the Toad stuttered, all friendliness gone from his voice. Now it sounded fearful. "W-What about him...?"

"Do you happen to know where he resides?" Natasia asked.

The Toad shook his head nervously. "No, I don't. But w-why would you want to know...?"

"I need to see him, that's all," Natasia replied simply. "There is no reason for you to know any details." With a little wave of her cape, she left the Toad, who was unnerved by the whole thing.

* * *

Natasia tried talking with some other Toads, but the result was basically the same: everyone became nervous upon hearing his name, but none knew where to find him. It seemed pretty pointless to stay in Toad Town; maybe she should go search somewhere else.

As she was preparing to leave, she caught sight of a green figure. "Aha! Maybe that's him!" she said to herself, excited. She turned to get a closer look, but then she was disappointed to see that it was not Mr. L.

However...

_This_ person seemed very similar, almost like an exact copy, if it weren't for his choice of attire and the blue hue in his eyes.

"That must be the one named Luigi," Natasia realized. "He might know where Mr. L is." She quickly adjusted the rims of her glasses before approaching him.

"Excuse me, are you the one who is referred to as Luigi?" she called to him.

Luigi turned and saw her. He seemed a little curious to her appearance, but then he nodded. "Yes, I'm Luigi."

Natasia nodded. "Okay, Luigi. I want to ask if you are familiar with the one called Mr. L, yes?"

She was a little surprised by the sudden dark look in his normally friendly eyes. It seemed that he was a bit more familiar with the black-clad figure than she thought.

"...Yes...I know him. What about him?" Luigi said in a serious tone. "Did he do anything?"

"Oh, no, he has not done anything wrong. I only want to know if you happen to know where he lives."

The green one stood there quietly for a moment, looking at the ground. Then he glanced up. "I don't think that anyone knows _exactly_where he lives, but I _do_ know that he likes to spend a lot of time in the forest."

Natasia nodded. "Thank you for telling me; I shall go see him right away." She turned to leave.

"W-Wait," Luigi said in alarm, placing his hand on her shoulder. It took a lot of Natasia's willpower to not flinch or shake him off. "Why do you want to see him...?"

"He and I have some 'catching up' to do," Natasia said flatly as she left.

* * *

Heading into the forest, Natasia discovered that the temperature seemed to drop a bit. There was also a sudden breeze that seemed a little too chilly to be natural.

"I don't recall the Dimble Woods being quite like this," she said quietly to herself.

As she walked deeper into the forest, she noticed another thing.

It was quiet. Strangely quiet. The creatures that used to roam these parts (Treevils, Trashures, and the Wigglers) weren't exactly here. Sure, once in a while, she'd spot one, but there weren't as many as they were when she first entered the wood.

"Does that mean I might be getting closer to him, perhaps?" she wondered. With that thought, she was motivated even more to continue her search.


	3. Meeting

Nastasia continued through the forest, hoping to spot her target. She suspected she was getting very close, however. The trees were starting to grow more closely together and they were also turning darker.

_He has to be around here..._ Nastasia thought in her head. _I just know it...his dark aura is reflecting off the trees in these woods..._  
As she walked on, she came across what seemed to be a thick wall of tall darkened trees. From a distance, one might say it could be...

...a fence.

With her hopes soaring almost as high as the sky, Nastasia slowly, but surely, made her way across the wall of trees. The stubborn branches didn't really help her though, with the way they were all twisted and bent out of shape, getting in the way. She wondered to herself if they were like this naturally, or if they had been modified.

Just as she began to think that she should go around the wall instead, the branch she was pushing against finally pulled back, and she went through the wall.

Standing in front of her was a small white house with dark green shutters in a little clearing (no more than 50 feet long and 35 feet wide), with lots of dark trees surrounding it, casting a shadow over the place. The house itself seemed to be built within the trees, so that it was protected by them, almost like a barrier.

_This must be the place_, Nastasia was thinking to herself, when she finally saw him.

Mr. L was sitting (with his back turned) on the ground, with a little gardening can. He was talking very softly as he was tending to some pretty flowers in some flowering pots.

Nastasia's mouth fell open and would have hit the floor if it were possible. The dude was watering _flowers?!_ Maybe separating from Luigi had messed up his mind more than she thought.

Wanting to hear what the Green Thunder was saying, she carefully crept forward slowly, trying her best not to make any sudden sounds.

* * *

"Here you go, little flowers," Mr. L said, pouring some water onto his palm. "It's watering time for you." He put down the gardening can down and extending his index finger. A tiny dark thunderbolt took shape. He then proceeded to lower the thunderbolt into the water on his palm, electrifying it a bit. Satisfied, he sprinkled the water onto the flowers. "That'll maintain your energy up!" he said.

He stood up, wobbling a bit, and dusted off his pants. He was about to go inside when he noticed a sudden change in the air. Something didn't feel right.

Suddenly, two hands grabbed him and forced his arms behind his back.

"What the-?!" he gasped. Instinctively, he struggled to be freed, but it was too late. The element of surprise had been used against him.

The person tied his hands together with something he couldn't seem to break, them spun him around and forced him up against the wall.

"Hello there," the person said under the hood they wore.

"Who the hell are you...?!" Mr. L asked, confused and pissed off.

"What, you don't remember me?" the person scoffed. "Well, it _has_ been a while, of course you would have forgotten." Using one hand, the person pulled back her hood. "Ta-da!"

Mr. L's silver eyes widened. "_Nastasia?!_"

With some of her magic, Nastasia formed a weird-looking rope that she wrapped around him, making him unable to move away from his current position. Then she stepped back and gave a little twirl. "The one and only!"

"...Showoff," Mr. L said under his breath.

Nastasia cleared her throat and her tone became dead serious. "Count Bleck never managed to complete his plan concerning the Dark Prognosticus, so I have decided to take it upon myself to finish it for him."

Mr. L raised an eyebrow.

Nastasia pointed at him. "You shall assist me in my plan to destroy and overpower light, love and happiness, so that the Dark Prognosticus can be fulfilled."

"What?!" Mr. L exclaimed. "I am _not_ helping you! You are out of your mind!"

"Yes, I _am_ out of my mind," Nastasia said with a devilish smile on her face. "But that's alright, because I know you are, too." She suddenly dropped the smile as she took a step closer. "And I also know that _you will help me,_" she deadpanned.

"No, I won't!" Mr. L said defiantly. He struggled to get out of the ropes, but they were bound too tightly. Plus, they were formed out of this weird magic that Count Bleck's minion had. "The last thing I'd ever do is help a weirdo like you!"

"I'm starting to get tired of your incessant chatter," Nastasia frowned. Using the same magic that formed the ropes, she created a roll of tape. She tore off a large piece, then slapped it over his mouth so he couldn't talk. "That should silence you a bit," she said, somewhat satisfied.

Mr. L yelled something angrily that was muffled by the tape.

"Now," Nastasia said, walking back and forth, "You _will_ assist me in the master's plan, whenever you like it or not."


	4. Blackmail

_ Over my dead body!_ Mr. L thought angrily in his head, still struggling to free himself from the ropes. He would _not_ help her!

"Then I guess I'll just have to force you, then," Nastasia said in a dangerous tone. She began to lift her glasses.

Mr. L instantly knew what was going to happen next. He quickly slammed his eyes shut so that he wouldn't see the white flash that would occur.

"Hey!" Nastasia said, starting to get steamed. "Open your eyes!"

When the black-clad figure didn't listen, the former minion of Count Bleck grew really mad. "I said open them!" she shouted as she slapped him across the face.

He let out an odd sound of pain as a red mark began to take form on his cheek, but he kept his eyes closed.

"Hmm..." Nastasia said softly to herself. "Quite resistant, aren't you? But don't worry, I _will_ make you open those eyes."

She kept smacking him in the face until his cheeks were nearly bruised, but he did not open his eyes.

She tried poking him in the belly, but he still did not open them. (He did jump a little, however, when she poked him in his belly button.)

She even tried tickling him, but he wasn't really ticklish (although he _did_ giggle a little in a few certain areas) and he still didn't open his eyes.

At last Nastasia lost her temper. "Arrgh!" she growled. "Open your freaking eyes, dammit!" She delivered a swift kick to his right leg.  
Mr. L suddenly let out a muffled cry of pain as his legs shook.

Nastasia did a double take. _This_ was a different reaction. She grinned evilly and kicked him again, harder this time.

The black-clad figure jumped and cried out louder. His entire body shook in intense pain as a tear began to form in his eyes.

"Hmm, something's making you tick right there," Nastasia said, grinning deviously. Using her magic, she rolled up his pants leg. "Let's see what that is."

There was a couple bandages tightly wrapped around his lower leg. Because Nastasia had kicked him, they were starting to bleed.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Nastasia cooed sarcastically. "What happened there? Did you hurt yourself?"

As she looked at his injury, Nastasia suddenly thought of a way that she could get him to open his eyes. She bent down and started to unwrap the bandages.

Instantly, Mr. L began to protest, but then Nastasia silenced him with a stinging blow to the face. "Quiet!" she ordered him.

When she was done unraveling the bandages, the former minion of Count Bleck was pretty surprised at what she saw. "Whoa..." she said to herself.

There was a large, deep cut that ran vertically down his leg, dark red (almost purple) at the opening and red all around it. It was in the process of healing slowly, but when Nastasia had kicked him, it had opened a bit and become agitated. There was a small trickle of dark red blood running down his leg as well.

"Damn..." Nastasia said. Then she looked up, all sympathy gone. Now there was only a devious grin on her face. "Wow, that looks pretty bad. I sure wouldn't want anything else to happen to it," she said in an amused tone as she touched the tender skin around the cut.

"Mmph!" Mr. L cried through the tape. He was practically writhing in pain as the tear that was forming in his eyes slipped down his face, as well as others. Just as Wolfie Mario cried out in pain whenever someone stepped on his tail, Mr. L did the same thing whenever anyone agitated the (seemingly permanent) injury he had.

Nastasia's fragile mind took a turn for the worse as she reached into her cape and took out a long, slender knife, the one she always carried with her. She placed the cold blade against his skin. "You feel that?" she asked maliciously.

Feeling the blade, Mr. L gave a frightened cry.

"Oh, you feel it, all right," Nastasia said, chuckling softly. Then her tone grew dark. "You _will_ help me in my plan, or else this cut will get _much_ worse than it already is."

When she got no response, Nastasia narrowed her eyes. "Fine, then, you leave me no choice," she deadpanned as she took the knife and opened the cut a bit more.

Mr. L instantly let out a muffled scream of pain that made some nearby birds fly away. Tears were raining down his face as he finally opened his eyes, against his will.

Nastasia grinned. "Oh, now you opened them," she said, satisfied. "I'd say it was about time." She put down the bloody knife and stood up, lifting her glasses.

The last thing that Mr. L managed to see was a white flash, then everything grew dark.


	5. The Master and her Minion

When Nastasia saw that Mr. L had gone unconscious, she took off the ropes and the tape, and let him fall face-down on the ground. She then flipped him over onto his back, took the bandages and dressed his wound as best as she could. The last thing she needed was a disabled minion who couldn't walk, much less carry out her commands. As soon as he woke up, though, Nastasia would be able to complete the brainwashing process.

_It feels so nice to be in charge for once_, she thought deviously inside her head, rubbing her hands together for the full "evil" effect. _I get to boss around all my minions-er, minion, and he'll listen and cater to my every whim_. She felt this was the time to let out an evil laugh, and that's what she did-loud and proud-until it was ruined by a random squirrel yelling at her to "Shut the hell up!" It was almost sunset, did she have to be so loud?

Nastasia decided to take care of the yelling squirrel by blasting it out of the tree with some of her magic.

"Annoying animals," she muttered to herself. Then she sat down on the front porch. "I'll just wait here until he wakes up."

* * *

After what seemed to be about fifteen minutes, Mr. L had still not woken up. Nastasia had gotten a little bored and decided to explore the inside of his house.

Upon coming in, she noticed that the interior design was a bit...simple. There weren't really a lot of adorns decorating his house. Even the furniture seemed pretty basic to her.

Even with the simple designs, Nastasia _did_ find some...pretty unusual things. In the kitchen, there was a baby bottle sitting on the counter. It was empty, but it had a label with the initials W.M. She didn't know what it stood for, let alone why Mr. L kept a baby bottle in his house in the first place.

She found a violin case in the living room, resting on the couch. When she opened it, she found a tiny violin laying there, with a few hand-drawn music sheets. The violin itself was a soft shade of purple, which somehow got a laugh out of her. She didn't think of Mr. L as a violin player.

When she walked up the stairs to the second floor, Nastasia suddenly felt a small chill dart up her spine for some reason. She quickly shook it off and continued forward.

She could easily see what was in the bathroom (because the door was open), but his bedroom door was closed. Feeling a stroke of curiosity, Nastasia walked down the hallway to that room.

When she opened the door, she was actually surprised at how neat and tidy it was. Since Mr. L lived by himself, she had expected him to be a little messier. There was a small dresser next to a comfy-looking full-bed, which had lots of fluffy pillows on it. Next to the closet door (which was closed), there lay two dark green guitars, one electric and one bass. They were in very good condition, almost like new (though Nastasia did not know that they had been with Mr. L for a long time). A lot of music sheets were neatly stacked on the floor next to them. As Nastasia glanced at them, she thought, _Mr. L must have written these himself..._

She wanted to continue "exploring", but then she remembered that Mr. L was still outside. She put the music sheets back where they were and went outside.

* * *

It was now dark. The full moon shone brightly in the night sky, casting a pale shine over the trees.

Nastasia came outside just in time to see Mr. L sit up, rubbing his head. _Oh good, he's awake_, she thought excitedly as she started to come closer.

"Ohh...w-what happened?" Mr. L asked in a dazed voice. He felt dizzy and couldn't see clearly. He didn't even know where he was (even though the house was right in front of him).

"Ahem!" a familiar voice.

"W-Who's there?" Mr. L asked in alarm, struggling to see. He managed to make out a dark figure coming closer to him. When he did, he backed away immediately, his hands forming dark thunderbolts.

"Easy there, I'm not here to harm you-not yet, really," the voice said. Mr. L seemed to relax immediately as the thunderbolts he was forming vanished. She bent down next to him, looking at him closely, checking to make sure if he was under her influence or not.

Yep, he was. The blank look in his silver eyes and his sudden calmness convinced her. Now she could continue the brainwashing process again.

Lifting her glasses, Nastasia let out a dark red flash, making Mr. L gasp slightly as his eyes swirled from bright silver to blood red.

"I want you to listen to me very closely," she commanded. "You are my minion, and I am your master. Is that understood?"

He nodded blankly, looking directly at her.

"You will do whatever I tell you to do, and do not let anything get in your way."

He nodded again.

Nastasia took a deep breath. "Alright then," she began, "you and I are on a very important mission. The Dark Prognosticus will be fulfilled, according to Count Bleck, and you will help me complete his plan."

Mr. L nodded, but this time, there was a silver flicker in his red eyes, but maybe that was her imagination. No one had ever been able to resist her spell, why should he?

"We cannot have light with the Dark Prognosticus if we are to complete it. That is why it is your mission to search for and destroy all love, innocence and happiness, since those things are what provokes light greatly. I don't care how you do it, just eliminate them, get rid of it."

"I will," Mr. L said.

"And if anyone (but me, of course) tries to stand in your way, tries to stop you from doing your mission, dispose of them. Exterminate them. Kill them if they persist too much. There can be no room for failure here. Is that clear?"

"Very clear," Mr. L said, his eyes starting to glow.

"The way I can tell if you are progressing well is by the weather. For some reason, the weather here is influenced a lot by the level of fluffiness and innocence, so when you dispose of the lightness, the sky should get worse."

"I understand," Mr. L said.

"Okay, one more thing," Nastasia said. This time, she leaned in a little. "I want you to use your emotions a bit. I know that you sure as hell can do anything when you're upset or mad. If people try to stop you, be assertive, don't let them take you down. Let that hidden anger out."

The way that Mr. L was breathing hard told Nastasia that he was already feeling fired up. "Okay, I won't keep you waiting. Go into Toad Town and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom and cause as much darkness and chaos as you can. Use your thunderbolts if you must. Now, go!"

As Mr. L turned and went through the forest, Nastasia smiled evilly to herself. "Now it's all cake from here..."


	6. Loss of the Light

It was now a few hours before dawn, the sky beginning to turn grey. All was still; the birds had not woken up yet, nor had most of the citizens of Toad Town woken up, as well.

At Peach's Castle, in one of the various towers, a couple of Toads who were standing guard were about to go off-shift when they noticed a dark figure coming out of the forest.

"Hey, what's that?" one of them asked, pointing.

His companion strained to see. "I can't really see who (or what) it is..."

"Do you think it may be a threat?" the first Toad asked, wary.

"Oh no, what if it's heading for the castle? Could it be Bowser launching a sneak attack?" the other said.

The first guard jumped. "Oh no, we can't let _that_ happen!" he cried. But then he took a second look at the figure. "Wait...that can't be Bowser...this guy's not tall enough. It looks like...Luigi!"

"Luigi? What's _he_ doing there at this time of day?" his companion asked, glancing at the dawning sky. "I mean, taking a morning walk is one thing, but..."

"I don't know, let's ask him," the other Toad said. They both nodded at each other and quickly left their post.

* * *

The two Toads found themselves running toward "Luigi", who was still walking.

"Hey, Luigi! Sorry to bother ya, but w-what are you doing out here? It's awfully early for a morning walk," the first guard said.

The dark figure did not answer. Instead, he stood there simply looking at the two guards, his face mostly covered by his cap.

"Um...L-Luigi?" the guard repeated. He waved his hands in front of him. "Hello...?"

"You _are_ Luigi...aren't you...?" the second guard asked, starting to feel nervous, although he wasn't really sure why.

The dark figure still stood there, without speaking, which sent an uneasy shudder through the Toads. Then he looked up, revealing his glowing blood-red eyes.

The guards yelped in fear. "Y-You're not Luigi...!" one of them managed to squeak. "You're M-Mr. L...!"

Mr. L quickly grabbed the collars of the guards and held them up, so that their faces were level with his. "Where can I find light?" he growled.

The two Toads were trembling. "W-What do you m-mean?" one of them asked.

"The light! Happiness, love, innocence!" Mr. L shouted, shaking them. "Where can I find it?"

"W-We don't know!" one cried.

The black-clad figure glowered. "Then you are of no use to me," he said in a dangerous tone as he flung them to the ground. Then he backed up a little, his hands forming dark thunderbolts, with enough energy to fry them to a crisp.

"W-Wait...!" one of the Toads cried. He started sobbing out of fear. "Please don't...!"

For a moment, Mr. L actually stopped. He listened closely to the crying sounds of the Toad. It seemed to have the exact opposite of the "light". And for some reason...he took pleasure in witnessing it.

"Okay then..." he said calmly, the thunderbolts lessening. "I won't hurt you."

The Toads were momentarily surprised. "Y-You won't?" one asked.

An evil smile formed over Mr. L's face as the thunderbolts suddenly surged back to life. "Sorry, I lied," he apologized sarcastically as he unleashed the dark thunderbolts at them, his red eyes glowing with pleasure.

The thunderbolts were not enough to kill the Toads, but they had enough energy to give them second-degree burns. As Mr. L walked away from them, hearing them wail in pain, he remembered what he had heard in that Toad's cry. It had sadness, betrayal, fear...

...all the things that were necessary to vanquish the light.

_By causing them great trauma, the light that they contain is corrupted_, he realized.

He grinned menacingly. Not only would it satisfy Nastasia's orders, it would bring him great pleasure to hear them cry. It somehow gave him a feeling of superiority.

_Now...who's next?_ he thought as he continued walking.

* * *

Later in the morning, the real Luigi was taking a stroll through Toad Town, wanting to get some fresh air before eating some nice breakfast.

He wanted to say that it was a beautiful morning, but the sun was blocked by all the heavy clouds that were there. It also didn't seem as...colorful as usual. There was a certain dimness in the air.

_Hmm...something seems off..._ he thought. He knew that his brother, Wolfie Mario, could (unknowingly) influence the weather with his emotions. And if the sky was clouded like this...could that mean that something was wrong with him?

With these thoughts, Luigi stopped and turned around. Even if he was wrong and the weather was just acting up on its own, he didn't want to take any chances.


	7. Cataclysm

Upon entering the castle, Luigi went up to the first Toad he saw.

"Hey, do you know where Mario is?" Luigi quickly asked him, without so much as a greeting. "I need to see him right now...!"

The Toad thought for a bit. "Um...I think I last saw him in the kitchen with Peach-"

"Okay, thanks!" Luigi called, heading toward the right, where the kitchen was located, leaving the Toad confused.

* * *

"Mario! Are you alright?" Luigi called, bursting into the kitchen, looking for said older brother. He finally saw the little wolf and Peach sitting down at the dining table, eating breakfast. The princess had some delicious French croissants, while Mario was eating some strawberry waffles with some maple syrup and whipped cream. He also had his light-blue blankie with stars on them wrapped around him.

"What's wrong, Weegee?" Mario innocently asked, still chewing on some waffles. He was a little confused as to why Luigi seemed so unnerved.

"Is anything ailing you, Luigi?" Peach asked, also confused.

"Are you okay, Mario? Are you hurt?" Luigi asked, almost frantically. He gently held the little wolf's tail. "Is your tail injured?" he asked as he carefully felt it, checking for any cuts or things like that.

Mario shuddered a little when Luigi took hold of his tail (since it was very sensitive), but then he shook his head. "N-No, Weegee, I'm fine," he replied. "Why?"

"I thought you were hurt, but..." Luigi's voice trailed off as he looked outside. "T-Then why is the weather acting up like that?"

Peach took a glance out the window. "Oh, my! I hadn't noticed that," she said, surprised. "It got really cloudy all of a sudden. It wasn't like that when I woke up..."

"I'm not sure if the weather is supposed to be like this. It's too sudden to be normal," Luigi said, feeling uneasy. If his brother was fine, then what was wrong?" He didn't know anyone else who could influence the weather...

He decided to go look in Toad Town for anything that might seem suspicious. "I'm going outside to see if anything's wrong," he said as he turned to leave.

"D-Do you want me to come with you, Weegee?" Mario asked, starting to stand up.

"No, that's okay, you haven't finished eating," Luigi replied, gesturing to his brother's half-full plate. "Plus, you're still in your pajamas."

The little wolf looked down at his red pajamas with small butterflies on them and blushed. "Okay then," he said quietly.

Luigi smiled a little before he turned back around and went outside.

* * *

Once he was outdoors, Luigi took a stroll through Toad Town, but this time, it wasn't to observe the pretty scenery, it was to see if anything was not in place.

Before he could do anything else, he witnessed a couple angrily yelling at each other. By what they were shouting, it didn't sound good.

"You just love to hurt me, don't you!" a female Toad was yelling. Angry tears were falling down her reddened face.

"I didn't do anything! Why would I go and do that?!" another male Toad shouted. "I would never betray you!"

"Oh, cry me a river, you traitor!" the female screamed before slamming the door to her house shut.

"Fine, be that way!" the male bellowed before stalking off angrily.

As soon as the Toad left, the clouds became slightly darker, Luigi noticed. _This seems very odd..._ he thought as he continued walking.

He soon came across a pair of young female Toads, one of them crying, the other trying (and failing) to comfort her.

"What happened? Why is she crying?" Luigi asked, walking closer. What was ailing this Toad so much as to reduce her to tears?

When the girls looked up at him, their faces paled and they jumped up. "It's him! He's the one!" the crying Toad sobbed fearfully.

"Run! Maybe he won't hurt us anymore!" the other said, pulling her friend to her feet. Without another word, they quickly fled from him.

Luigi was hopelessly confused. "Wait, what do you mean?" he called after them, more than a little concerned. "I never hurt you guys!"

He began to have some strange feelings of Deja-vu. "Hold on..." he said quietly to himself. "She said I was 'the one'...and the other said...that I hurt them or something..."

He knew he had experienced this before...he just couldn't remember how or when. It was so familiar.

As he continued walking through Toad Town, he witnessed similar things. Every single Toad he encountered was either weeping, frightened or furious at someone for betraying them. One of the Toads who was angry remarked that _Luigi_ was the one who stole a lot of essential items from his shop. He had practically chased Luigi away and even thrown a few curses at him.

"I don't ever want to see your face again, or if I do, I'll beat you down like a rug, you traitor!" he had yelled.

The Toads who were frightened were because of Luigi as well, apparently. Whenever he tried to approach them, they would say something about him hurting them, then flee quickly, without giving Luigi a chance to stop and talk with them.

The Toads who were crying out of sadness couldn't seem to give a valid reason for their tears. A couple said they were in "pain"; others said they simply felt emotionally unstable. One particular Toad managed to say that her two brothers had been burned badly and had been immediately taken to intensive care.

"Th-They said that it w-was a dark figure that burned them," she sobbed. "He burned them b-because they didn't know h-how to find the light."


	8. Element of Betrayal

Luigi had wanted to know more, but the female Toad didn't really understand what her brothers meant by the "light".

"Did they mean 'light' as in...'light from the sun'...or light as in 'good or bad'?" he asked.

The Toad shook her head. "I don't know...b-but it did sound l-like they were talking about the second one, because t-the figure said something about happiness, love, and innocence."

* * *

_That seemed to explain everything._

Every Toad who Luigi had encountered had been nearly the exact opposite of the "light", as the dark figure had put it. They had been either saddened, betrayed, or frightened.

And every time a new Toad lost their "light"...the clouds became a bit darker and the entire place became a little less colorful and joyful.

Now the only thing that Luigi had to do was find the "dark figure" who was causing all this darkness...and why he was doing it.

* * *

Back at the castle, Peach was in the private library, enjoying a delightful book and sipping some royal Shroom Tea that was specially made by Toadsworth. She figured that she'd take advantage of the cloudy day and catch up on her reading, since after breakfast, Mario had decided to go off on his own (probably to the butterfly fields, she assumed) and there was really nothing else to do.

After reading for quite a while (and nearly finishing her book), Peach felt a little sleepy, especially with the soothing crackling of the fire in the fireplace in the corner and the serene atmosphere.

_I guess a little cat-nap wouldn't hurt..._ Peach thought as she closed her eyes. She would only rest for a bit...

* * *

**He doesn't love you.**

Peach instantly opened her eyes. What was that? Did someone come in the room?

**Why do you waste your time with him?**

The princess put down her book and glanced around the library warily. She didn't like the sound of this. Who was speaking?

**I bet if he had to choose between a butterfly and you, he'd choose the insect, for sure. Even if it couldn't fly.**

Peach had enough of this. "Who's there?" she called bravely, but there was still a hint of uneasiness in her voice.

**Don't you get it? He doesn't love you. He never has, and he never will.**

Peach tried to recognize the voice. _Definitely male_, she thought. It seemed to sound like...Luigi. But...it also sounded as though Luigi was possessed; it didn't seem to sound like him, yet it did, at the same time.

**He only saves you just for the fame and the title of "hero".**

"S-Stop that!" she said as soon as she realized who the voice was talking about. Was this "voice" trying to get her to gain a negative viewpoint of Mario?

**If he really did love you, then he would have ensured that you wouldn't get kidnapped the next time.**

"Stop talking about Mario like that!" she said, starting to get steamed.

**Listen to yourself. You're sounding like a whining, pathetic girl who doesn't want to accept the truth. That's not really "princess-like" of you, dear. **

"T-That's because it _isn't_ true!" Peach shouted, standing up. "He's not like that! And don't call me 'dear'!"

**Oh, I can assure you he is**, the voice continued with a slight chuckle. **He only saves you because he thinks that you're just a helpless blonde who can't do anything for herself. It's just an act put together for the fame and glory.**

"I am _not_ a helpless blonde!" Peach yelled, angered by the common stereotype that came with being a natural blonde. It always irritated her greatly. "And Mario would never think that of me!"

**Don't be so sure, Princess,** the voice said in a more serious tone. **As a matter of fact, where is he right now?**

Peach had to admit that she had no idea where the little wolf had gone.

**I bet that he's paying Bowser big coins at this moment so that he could kidnap you. Then your precious "hero" would be able to save your helpless self, just for the fame and glory of it...and also some cake to go with that.**

"Th-That's it!" Peach yelled angrily, throwing the teacup she had to the floor, so that it shattered into tiny pieces. In that instant, she became overwhelmed by the element of betrayal and she was unenlightened, losing the brightness of her colors. "I can't believe that Mario would do this to me!"

**That's the spirit!** the voice said, clearly amused. **Think about all those times he "saved" you. Do you suppose that it was coincidental that you were alone most of the time when Bowser kidnapped you?**

"He's been playing with my feelings for a long time," Peach deadpanned.

**Did it ever seem natural that he never seemed to want anything more than a slice of your delicious cake and a tiny kiss on the nose, even when you wanted to do more than that?**

"He didn't love me..." Peach continued. "That wasn't fair..."

**Life's never really fair, Princess**, the dark figure said right beside her, patting her shoulder in mock sympathy (although Peach was so mad at Mario that she didn't even feel the dark figure's touch, nor did she realize that he was standing next to her). He took great pleasure in seeing Peach practically seething in anger. The element of betrayal was even better than he thought. With an evil grin, he left the room.


	9. Get out!

A while later, Mario came back to the castle. He had been simply tending to the flowers that were growing abundantly in the backyard gardens, especially one patch of rainbow roses that he was secretly planning to give to Peach. They were very rare, found only in the deeper parts of Dimble Woods. A pleasant chase with the butterflies had led the little wolf to them. Now he was making sure they were looking their very best before he picked them and gave them to Peach.

"They're looking really nice," he had said quietly to himself. "Maybe I can give them to her today or tomorrow..."

He had tended to the flowers with great care until he began to feel a bit hungry.

_A little snack wouldn't hurt, I guess_, he thought as he put down the watering can and stood up.

* * *

Upon entering the castle, Mario suddenly got shivers running up his back. There was a strange change in the atmosphere; it didn't feel as warm and comforting anymore. In fact, it felt almost...hostile.

Something was not right.

"Peach...?" he called timidly, his tail nervously tucked around him. "Are you in here...?"

"Why the hell should you care?" a voice called out.

The little wolf turned to see Peach standing with her arms crossed against the kitchen counter. She didn't seem very happy at all, a significant change from her usual sunny self. In fact...she seemed to have lost some of her colors, looking a couple of shades grayer. Only her (dark...?) blue eyes seemed to stand out from the rest of her features.

"And just where the hell have _you_ been, hmm?" she asked in a particularly mean tone, her eyes narrowed.

"I-I was out in the gardens..." Mario replied, a little nervous by the sound of her voice. Did he do something wrong...?

"Really?" she said sarcastically. Then her voice turned ice cold. "Are you sure you weren't with Bowser, paying him coins so he can kidnap me...?!"

"W-What...?" Mario asked, nervous. "Why would I-I do that...?" The tone of her voice was starting to unnerve him. She had never acted this way towards him before.

"You _traitor!_" Peach shouted suddenly, making him jump. "I knew it! You never loved me! You were there just for the fame and glory!"  
The little wolf was frightened. He had no idea what she was talking about, or why she was so mad. How was he a "traitor"?

"All this time, you've only been playing with my feelings, waiting for the perfect time to attack!" the angry princess yelled. "And to think that I loved you back!"

"I-I don't know w-what you're talking about...!" Mario cried, very afraid. He had no idea what she meant by all this. Did she mean that she didn't love him anymore...?

What did he do wrong?

Obviously, what he had said was the wrong thing to say. Peach practically lost her temper at this. "Th-That's it!" she yelled as she came toward him, making him shrink in terror. "I've _had_ it with you and your stupid nonsense! You're such a baby! I don't want to see you anymore!" She pointed to the front castle door. "Get out!"

The little wolf felt his heart break. "W-What...?" he asked softly, his eyes watering. Was she kicking him out...?

"Are you deaf? I don't want traitors here! I said _get out!_" she yelled at him. She raised her fists at him, ready to swing. "Get out of my castle or I'll _make_ you get out! Now!"

As soon as Mario saw her hands fly up, he grew terribly frightened. He wanted to turn around and run as fast as he could out of the castle, but his legs wouldn't seem to respond. His feet stayed locked in place, unable to move. The only thing that he could do was tremble and whimper in fear.

When Peach saw that he didn't move, she grew so angry she pushed him back hard, making him lose his balance and fall to the floor. "I said get out NOW!" she bellowed.

Tears flooding his eyes, Mario let out a frightened cry. He immediately sprang up and fled the castle as fast as his legs could carry him, not daring to look back.

* * *

Luigi had been trying to figure out who the dark figure might be when he suddenly remembered that cloaked person from the day before. He recalled that she had asked him about Mr. L and where he lived.

And now that he thought about it...all those Toads had said that _he_ had been the one who had hurt them. They might say that because...only one other person could match his description perfectly.

Putting two and two together, it suddenly all made sense now.

The dark figure was Mr. L.

_But why would he do all that harm to those people?_ he thought. _I know he has bipolar disorder...but he still wouldn't do that...unless..._

_ Unless that cloaked person did something to him._


	10. You Missed One

As Nastasia had promised, from the moment Mr. L had left, she had been watching the skies, checking to ensure that her single minion was corrupting the light, as was his mission.

She observed carefully as the sky gradually went from puffy white clouds to more ominous-looking ones. It seemed to darken until it reached a certain dark grey color, then stopped. It didn't grow any lighter or darker.

_Hmm..._ she wondered. _He couldn't have eliminated the light from everyone yet...the sky's not dark enough for that to happen..._

She decided to go check for herself. Maybe Mr. L _did_ corrupt the light from everyone, but it wasn't enough to exactly bring out the dark thunderclouds that she was aiming for. If that was simply the case, then she would have him go to another place, so that he could take care of that particular area.

_If_ that was the case...

* * *

Walking into Toad Town, Nastasia saw the way everyone was acting now that their light had been taken. They were all feeling anger towards someone, sadness or fear.

_"Just shut the hell up, you traitor!"_

_ "I don't want to live on this planet anymore...!"_

_ "Don't come near me! I-I don't want anyone near me!"_

She smiled evilly to herself as she took pleasure in seeing these once-optimistic Toads now victims of the dark, having lost their color and becoming more grayer. Her minion had done his job well...

Wait a minute. What was that over there?

When Nastasia turned to look, she saw one person in particular whose light had not yet been corrupted.

Mario was sitting in a flower patch near the boundaries of the forest, his back turned. At first, Natasia thought he was talking to himself, but when she took a few steps closer, she realized that he was actually talking to a couple of butterflies, one of which was in his palm.

_What in the world...?!_ Nastasia thought wildly to herself as she saw just how much light was stored within him. _How did Mr. L not find him? This guy has so much light and innocence within! It's as though he's glowing with it!_

"S-She didn't mean it, right...?" the little wolf asked softly, looking at the tiny flying creature in his hand and the others. "Maybe she w-was just mad at s-something else...?"

The butterflies only fluttered their colorful wings in response, but Mario nodded as though he could understand them. "Y-You're right...even if she doesn't want me in her castle anymore...you guys won't leave me, w-will you?"

As if to reply to him, the butterfly flew up from his palm and rested playfully on his nose, majestically flapping its wings. Mario grinned. "Thank you, little ones. I feel a lot better now..."

When Nastasia looked away from him and glanced at the sky, she was surprised to see that the sky had gone a few considerable shades brighter. _This can't be!_ she thought. _He must have a bigger connection with the weather through his emotions than everyone else! How is this possible?_

As Nastasia was watching the little wolf play happily with the butterflies, she suddenly remembered Mr. L. He would take care of him for her. Then she'd be able to carry on with Count Bleck's plan. Slowly, she crept away from Mario, so he wouldn't see her.

* * *

She found Mr. L walking in the streets, still keeping an eye for any citizens he may have missed, she assumed.  
"Hey!" she called out to him.

At first, he did not see her, but when she called again, he took notice of her that time. He went over to her quickly.

"For the most part, I do believe that you have done a nice job," she complimented. "However...I think you may missed one person..."

Mr. L looked surprised. "I thought I had gotten everyone."

"Nope, you didn't," Nastasia replied, quickly adjusting her glasses. She pointed in the direction of the flower patches. "He's over there in the flowers."

Mr. L could not see, so Nastasia led him over there a little, so that he could take a look at the person whose light had not yet been corrupted.

As soon as the black-clad figure laid eyes on the little wolf, he inhaled sharply and stepped back. "No..." he said in a voice that seemed quite emotional.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Nastasia asked, a little suspicious. "What's wrong?"


	11. Epitome of Innocence

** Warning, some disturbing scenes ahead...**

* * *

"Th-That's Mario..." Mr. L said, backing away. His eyes flicked from red to bright silver again and vice versa. He looked as though he were caught in a trance of his own.

Nastasia took a second glance at the little wolf, who was still completely unaware of the two. Now she recognized him. "Oh, now I remember him," she said. "He was the 'hero in red', right? That's not so bad. You can take care of him." She gave Mr. L a little push forward.

But the black-clad figure backed right up again, his eyes in a battle between silver and red. And silver seemed to be winning. "I-I can't..." he said. "I would never hurt him."

"Oh, come on!" Nastasia replied, placing her arms on her hips. "I know you're in love with him, but that doesn't matter anymore. The amount of light within him is overpowering. He must be corrupted."

Mr. L shook his head firmly. "No, I won't. I would never hurt my baby wolf."

"_Excuse me?_" Nastasia asked, shocked that her minion would deny her orders. "I gave you an order. Go over there _this instant_ and eliminate the light from him!" She walked up close to him. "If you don't, I will," she continued in a serious tone.

When Mr. L didn't move, Nastasia narrowed her eyes. "Alright, you asked for it," she said as she started walking toward the little wolf, her feet softly crunching on the small flowers that were growing beneath her.

"Don't you dare go near Mario!" Mr. L warned dangerously, seizing her arm. "I won't let you do anything to him!"

Nastasia shook him off. "Maybe you should taught another lesson about disobedience!" she said sternly, reaching up and grabbing his arm. She rapidly raised her glasses and a red flash shone out.

The black-clad figure quickly shut his eyes, but it was too late. He had seen the flash. Even now as his eyes began to swirl back to that crimson shade, he still fought over the influence that was settling over him very quickly. He couldn't let anything harmful happen to his sweet little wolf. If his light was corrupted, Nastasia would be able to continue with that plan and all hell would break loose. It could even disrupt the balance of the world...!

Must...stay...awake...

Please...

* * *

A few intense seconds later, Mr. L slowly sank to the flower-embedded ground on his knees, his hands covering his face. His breathing was very uneven and heavy, almost psychotic. Nastasia carefully wandered around him, wondering if he had maybe snapped. _Did he push himself too far...?_

Just as she was about to bend down and see if he was alright, the black-clad figure suddenly removed his hands from his pale face and glanced up at her.

As soon as Nastasia caught sight of his face, she smiled evilly. "Alright, then," she mused as she looked at Mr. L's blood-red eyes and his angry expression, ready to fight. "You have work to do, mister...and this time, I expect you to get it right. If you should fail, there will be dire consequences...probably concerning your delicate injury," she commanded, taking a glance at his right leg. "Now, see over there...?"

* * *

Farther away, the little wolf was still playing with the butterflies, forgetting about his troubles with Peach. Instead, he sat around in the vibrant flowers, enjoying the tiny creatures' company.

The sudden, unnatural sound of leaves softly crunch beneath a heavy force made his wolf ears twitch. Was there something...or someone there?

Before he could react, the crunching footsteps came up rapidly to him and yanked him up by the back of the shirt, breaking his connection with the ground.

Mario let out a surprised yelp as the person turned him around, so that he was now facing them. "L...?" he asked, astounded to see a familiar, yet scary-looking face. "Wh-What are you doing...?!"

Mr. L let out a low growl, which quickly sent cold chills running up the little wolf's spine. "What's the matter? Are you afraid of me?" When he got no answer, he quickly shook Mario. "Well?" he asked.

"I, uh..." was all Mario managed to say. He was indeed very frightened, not really being able to talk. All he could do was hang there and tremble, thinking about how Mr. L's voice sounded very different than what it normally was, low and dark; it was almost as though he was possessed.

With a death look in his eyes, Mr. L released his grip. The little wolf fell to the ground, landing on his back.

Mr. L bent over him. His blood-red eyes shone like rubies. "All this time, Mario," he said. "All this time, I loved you to no end, I watched over you so no one could bring you harm, and you don't bother to return _at least_ a token of your affection? This is what I get?"

"I-I'm sorry-!" Mario began to say, realizing that Mr. L had landed on a touchy subject, but the black-clad figure cut him off with a finger to his lips. "You know what that did to me?"

Just as he was about to answer, a small butterfly fluttered its wings past him. Taking one look at the creature, Mr. L got a severely twisted idea in his mind. He plucked it out of the air delicately with his hand. "It tore me apart," he said dangerously as he, in one motion, ripped the butterfly's wings away from its body, instantly killing it.

The emotional pain that the little wolf felt was sharp and sudden. He couldn't believe that Mr. L would just tear the butterfly up without mercy. He could only stare in horror as the black-clad figure let go of the wings and they fluttered lifelessly to the ground. A single tear brewed up in his eyes and started to slip down his face.

When Mr. L saw the tear, he seemed to get mad. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "Do you love that insect more than me?" Seeing another butterfly fly by, he grabbed that one too. "I guess it would break your heart if I did _this_," he continued as he ripped apart the creature's wings.


	12. Silver Weapon

**Warning, some disturbing scenes ahead...**

* * *

"No, stop it!" Mario found himself crying out. He couldn't bear to watch Mr. L tear apart the butterflies. They didn't deserve to die...! "Don't hurt them, please!" Without thinking, he jumped up and pushed Mr. L a good three feet away before he could harm a third one. He would not let him kill the little flying creatures.

The black-clad figure almost stumbled, but then he quickly found his balance and stood upright again, still limping on his right leg. He looked up, his red eyes glittering. "I have _had_ it with you!" he snapped. "Your sweetness towards the insects and everyone has gone on far enough. If I can't seem to manage to corrupt your light, then I might as well destroy it all together!" With those words, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something.

As soon as Mario saw the silver-colored gun that Mr. L always kept for defense, his eyes widened in shock as he involuntarily took a few steps back, sheer terror running up his spine. "No...y-you wouldn't..."

_Would Mr. L really do this...?_

"Your innocent light is interfering too much with Nastasia's master plan," the black-clad figure said simply. He removed the safety switch and pointed the weapon at Mario's head. "If it can't be corrupted, it must be eliminated completely."

"_No, please don't!_" the little wolf screamed in fright before Mr. L fired.

* * *

Nastasia had been sitting down by the hiding place, plucking the petals off the flowers, when she suddenly heard a gunshot echo throughout the valley. Her eyes darted up quickly. Was that Mr. L...?

* * *

Mario had shut his eyes, waiting for the inevitable, but even after he heard the gunshot, he didn't feel any pain or stuff like that. He did feel something small and hot fly by him, but that was it.

"Dammit, I missed!" he heard Mr. L yelled in frustration.

_He missed...?_ Mario thought. With that, he quickly opened his eyes and saw that the black-clad figure indeed had missed...but only by two inches. He turned back, relieved, only to see Mr. L reloading.

When he held up the gun again, Mario suddenly felt his legs responding. He turned again and darted away as fast as he could, heading toward the forest in hopes that Mr. L might not find him.

**"Get back here!"** Mr. L yelled scarily, chasing after him. He held up the gun, but did not fire, as he had a limited number of bullets.  
Whimpering in fear, the little wolf ran as fast as he could. He could see that the forest was now in range. Seeing a tree close by, he quickly held on to the bark and started to climb it, managing to hide himself from view within the branches in a matter of seconds.

Nearing the tree, Mr. L skidded to a stop. He held up the gun and began to fire at the branches repeatedly, hoping to hit his target.  
He smiled evilly in satisfaction when he heard Mario cry out loudly in pain, then a dreadful silence followed. A little hand fell into sight and hung limply from the leaves. Mr. L started to come forward, then stopped when he saw the dark red trickle of blood that began to drip down the pale fingers.

At that exact moment, the storm that had been brewing up in the sky suddenly became much worse. The thunderclouds darkened down to their limits and slowly began to revolve around, resembling a hurricane. There was a strikingly bright flash in the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Rain began to pelt down, as well.

Mr. L did not notice that Nastasia was behind him until she placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's my minion," she complimented, feeling satisfied. She took a quick glance at the storming sky. "It seems that we are finally able to conjure the darkness to continue on with the plan. Come on, we have more work to do," she said as she began walking back towards Toad Town, expecting him to follow her.

But the black-clad figure did not follow. He stared off blankly, not able to take his eyes away from the blood that was trickling down Mario's arm. Something had...changed in him. He blinked, and his eyes were bright silver for a split second before they fizzed back to crimson.

"Hey!" Nastasia called from a small distance. "Are you coming?"

Mr. L did not hear her. All he could hear was the echoing gunshot and the little wolf crying out painfully in his mind. It had seemingly provoked something inside. His eyes switched again from red to silver and back again, silver being the one trying to win.  
"Honestly, I'm gonna need a megaphone or something to make you hear me," Nastasia muttered, shaking her head. She came up to him and grabbed his arm. "Come on, I said," she continued as she started dragging him away.

As the black-clad figure was being dragged away, he felt a tear slip down his face, though he did not know why.

* * *

No one heard Mario cry weakly for help in the trees, as his voice was so faint and broken. There was a terrible throbbing pain in the area between his shoulder and chest. Dark red blood was spilling quickly from the wound. Breathing was difficult, and movement was nearly impossible. All he could do was lie there, cradled in the branches, and hope that someone would help him.

_Help me...please..._


	13. Spell Broken

As Nastasia was walking back to Peach's Castle, she noticed that Mr. L seemed to be acting rather weird. He kept turning and looking back, as if he was searching for something. He was whispering quietly to himself and wringing his hands nervously, occasionally using one of them to dab at a tear forming in his eyes.

Just before she entered the main castle doors, she turned and stopped him. "Okay, man, what's your problem?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You lose something?"

The black-clad figure did not even acknowledge her presence. He was glancing back in the direction of the forest again.

"Hey! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" Nastasia shouted, rather annoyed with the abnormal behavior of her minion. She jerked his chin back, so that he was now facing her. "What gives?"

"I-It's not right..." Mr. L replied in a feeble voice. He blinked, and his eyes swirled from red to silver and back again. "Something is wrong..."

"Look, I don't have time to feel sympathy for whatever you're talking about," Nastasia deadpanned. "We need to continue with the plan."

"No..." Mr. L said softly. "Something is _very_ wrong...! There's trouble..."

"What kind of trouble?" Nastasia asked quickly, wondering if her minion was sensing a loose end to the plan.

Before he could answer, Mr. L's legs suddenly buckled, and he fell to the ground on his knees, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes tightly and placed his hands on his temples, whispering almost incoherently. There was blood...dark blood...the sound of a gunshot...Mario crying out in pain...

Wait a second...oh no!

Just as Nastasia was about to repeat her question, the black-clad figure stood up shakily, his eyes a bright silver color again. "Mario's in trouble!" he cried out.

Nastasia was taken by surprise. She suddenly got this feeling that she was no longer controlling anyone. When she managed to get a glimpse of the color of his eyes, she gasped in shock. "What the-?!" she cried. _How is this possible?! No one has ever been able to resist my hypnosis, let alone break the spell altogether!_

"I have to find him!" he continued as he started to run back to the forest.

"Oh no, you don't!" Nastasia demanded, quickly seizing his arm. "The plan is almost complete! No way in hell are you going to ruin it for me now!"

"I am not helping you in your plan!" Mr. L shouted, shoving her off. "I have to see Mario!"

"_You are not going anywhere!_" Nastasia yelled scarily, delivering a fierce kick to his right leg.

The black-clad figure instantly let out a pained yelp as tears sprung into his eyes. He lost his balance and fell to the floor, his arms holding his agitated injury.

Nastasia stood as tall as she could over him. Without even the slightest bit of mercy, she began to kick him repeatedly, each kick making him cry out louder. She even delivered a few hard ones to his belly, almost making him curl in agony. She didn't stop until he was practically immobilized with pain, a small pool of bright red blood seeping from his leg and a river of tears spilling from his eyes.

"I have no further need of you," she said emotionlessly, glancing down at Mr. L. "However, you _were_ a rather good minion, if I say so myself." With that, she turned and walked up the steps to Peach's Castle, leaving him behind.

* * *

Luigi had been running all over Toad Town, trying to find Mr. L, when a fierce storm suddenly erupted in the sky, stopping him in his tracks. The sky darkened, almost to night level, and large, thunderous clouds appeared quickly, blocking the sun from showing through. A strong wind began to flow, shaking all the trees and causing the clouds to circle one another. The only "light" in the sky were the bright bolts of lightning that flashed occasionally.

"What the-?" Luigi said out loud. "How in the world could the weather have worsened so fast...?" No way could it be natural.  
Unless...

Luigi's eyes widened as he thought about the one reason why a storm could have brewed up so suddenly, without any warning. _Oh no...what if Mario's hurt?_

With that one thought, Luigi took off running through the streets, determined to find his brother. If the weather was as crazy as it was now, then that meant that he might've been injured or something.

Running past Peach's Castle, Luigi skid to a stop, about to ask the princess if she knew where Mario had gone (not knowing her light had already been corrupted), when he suddenly spotted the person he had been trying to locate earlier. Mr. L was lying by the castle door, his face half-darkened by his hat. He was making little odd sounds of pain as he attempted to stand up.

"Oh, no...!" Luigi said softly as he saw the black-clad figure. His mind was yelling at him to forget about him and move on, but his heart was kinder and told him to help Mr. L. He soon found himself running toward him.

"L, what happened to you?" Luigi asked worriedly, helping him stand up. "You look like you fell off a cliff or something!" Looking down, he saw that Mr. L was having a very difficult time putting weight on his right leg, which was trembling hard, a large trail of bright red blood dripping down profusely. The one thing that surprised Luigi the most were the tears that were falling freely down his face, since Mr. L almost never cried.

"Oh, man, we gotta get you to a hospital or something before you bleed to death," Luigi said, beginning to lead the black-clad figure towards the nearest medical facility.

"_No!_" Mr. L cried in a voice that was so pained that Luigi immediately stopped, chills running up his back. "I-I have to go to the...t-the forest...!"

"But you're hurt-!" Luigi started.

Mr. L shook his head. "I...don't...CARE."

At that moment, Luigi honestly thought that the black-clad figure had gone completely delusional. Why would he not care? "But you need help, L...!"

"I said I don't care!" Mr. L shouted in an exasperated tone. "Mario is the one who needs help! He's in the forest, and he's hurt really bad!"


End file.
